Prunella vulgaris (Common self-heal)

This mint family relative is known as "heal-all" and "self-heal" due to the belief in the plant's healing properties from many cultures across the northern hemisphere. Unlike mint, self-heal will only spread slowly (if at all) by short rhizomes, but it should be planted well, as it can seed itself to form a highly floriforous groundcover for sun or part sun in damp soils.

 

It thrives on disturbance, becoming common in moist/poor draining lawns, ditches, lake edges, and abandoned areas left to the elements. Some have used this species as a lawn alternative, but it tends to grow at least 1 foot tall when blooming. Pairs well with lower growing moisture-preferring plants that can give it competition, such as blue-eyed grass, common violets, wild strawberry, and carex species.

 

Self-heal is a vigorous and long bloomer for much of the growing season, primarily visited by solitary bees, or long-tongued bees such as bumblebees, and even the occasional hummingbird. Blooming can be prolonged by deadheading and giving plants extra water in the hottest months. This plant is also one of the host species for the Clouded sulphur butterfly.

 

Prunella vulgaris is a circumboreal species, meaning it is spread across the northern hemisphere; subspecies lanceolata, or lanceleaf self-heal, is the specific variety that is native to North America. It can often be distinguished by its more slender, lance-shaped leaves and upright habit when blooming.